Some Dutch hospitals have halted chemotherapy therapies and organ transplants to liberate intensive care beds for a surging variety of COVID-19 sufferers, an official mentioned on Thursday.
The Dutch Hospital Affiliation for Crucial Care mentioned it had requested Well being Minister Hugo de Jonge to escalate the nationwide COVID-19 plan to a stage beneath which common care requiring an in a single day keep could be cancelled.
The variety of coronavirus sufferers in hospital has hit ranges not seen since early Could, and consultants have warned that hospitals will attain full capability in little greater than per week if the virus isn’t contained. A number of COVID-19 sufferers have been transferred to German hospitals this week.
Responding to document excessive an infection charges, the federal government’s main Outbreak Administration Crew convened an emergency assembly Wednesday evening and new lockdown measures are anticipated to be introduced on Friday.
Though some 85% of the grownup Dutch inhabitants has been absolutely vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19, new instances hit a document excessive of 23,709 in 24 hours on Wednesday and are up nearly 40% on a weekly foundation.
“There are hospitals in a number of areas scaling again care,” a spokesperson for the hospital affiliation mentioned. “We’re speaking about care that requires a mattress. Meaning quite a lot of appointments are being cancelled.”
Beneath the subsequent section of the disaster response plan, hospitals might additionally request the help of army personnel and college students to assist nurse sufferers.
The Netherlands has recorded greater than 2.5 million instances and over 19,000 deaths because the pandemic began.
After ending most social distancing measures in late September, the Dutch authorities this month reintroduced mask-wearing and reimposed a partial lockdown https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/netherlands-impose-partial-lockdown-halt-covid-19-surge-media-2021-11-12, with bars and eating places closing at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT)
Plans to limit entry to many public locations to individuals who have been vaccinated or have lately recovered from COVID-19 prompted three nights of rioting https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/dutch-pm-lashes-out-idiots-after-third-night-violence-2021-11-22 from final Friday and greater than 170 folks have been arrested throughout the nation.
(Reuters)